By Paul Nicholson
February 21 – The largest 5-a-side competition the world has ever seen has been launched with 100,000 players from 180 countries already signed up to play against each other worldwide, but all competing in the same ranking.
Promoted by Sports Stars Media, The GAME by Ronaldo is a crowdsourced competition that allows any team of any ability, anywhere in the world, entry. Real football played by real people but organised through an online website and a multi-platform app.
First players register online at gamebyronaldo.com. Then the registered player can invite friends to create a team or accept an invitation to play in another team.
Teams are given an initial 1,000 ranking points to start the competition – it is these ranking points that they play for each match.
The app suggests opponents, according to variables including location and availability, with the goal of improving their rankings, The app allows teams to schedule matches, enter results and keep track of their stats, performance and history.
Teams challenge each other either nationally or worldwide depending on how far they are prepared to travel. They then win or lose ranking points to the opposing team depending on the result, The points transfer system between teams allows for the most competitive teams to quickly climb the rankings.
The amount of points transferred is proportional to the ranking difference between the two teams. The system is designed to avoid teams with a substantial difference in ranking challenging each other.
Match rules are flexible but the organisers encourage teams to agree the parameters, like balls over head height, restarting play etc before the kick off. The organisers do state that squads ban be made up of nine players and that the matches have to be 5-a-side. Generally matches should be two halves of 20 minutes but even that can be flexible, as well as where the games are played and how they are refereed – as long as the the teams competing agree.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been directly involved with the project, said: “I’m really happy to be a part of The GAME and I hope people join in, have fun and that it all becomes a success”.
Round One, really an experimental period for the new competition, runs to May 1. At the end of this round the world’s top-ranking team will win a trip to watch Ronaldo play. The organisers say that in the future final rounds will be organised events with approved rules, referees and venues.
These are early days for the concept, but the organisers say they are aiming for 300 million footballers.
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